Pound for Pound: The Modern Gladiators of Mixed Martial Arts

Pound for Pound traces the five greatest fighters of all time—Georges St-Pierre, BJ Penn, Anderson Silva, Maurício Rua and Fedor Emelianenko—through their humble origins, baptism by blood and fire, and rise to the pinnacle of MMA, where the sword of Damocles constantly threatens. More

RESPECTED, REVERED—AND EXPENDABLE

Pain. Getting ripped off. Watching your potential wither on the vine due to contractual disputes that arise when people view you as their property. More pain. For the upper echelon of professional athletes in mixed martial arts, life can resemble the nightmare, described by Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, of a snail traversing the edge of a razorblade.

Pound for Pound traces the five greatest fighters of all time—Georges St-Pierre, BJ Penn, Anderson Silva, Maurício Rua and Fedor Emelianenko—through their humble origins, baptism by blood and fire, and rise to the pinnacle of MMA, where the sword of Damocles constantly threatens.

On the surface, we’re conditioned to see these fighters as mere sports entertainers. We consume pay-per-views just as a diner patron drops quarters in a jukebox. Fighters’ lives, however, are often more complex—and disturbing—than what event previews or color commentary portray.

Brian J. D'Souza is a Canadian writer who has traveled from the gyms of Montreal to the academias of Curitiba, Brazil to the MMA training grounds of Los Angeles and many locales in-between to capture the spirit and heart of the modern gladiators of MMA. He has written for ESPN.com, FoxSports.com, FIGHT! Magazine, Sportsnet Magazine and CagePotato.com.

Videos

Pound for Pound Book Trailer

A compelling look at Mixed Martial Arts from video shot in Toronto, New York City, Brazil and other exciting locales featuring the biggest and best names in the sport: Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Junior dos Santos, Forrest Griffin, and many more. A must watch.